subject: Paying For Graduate Education [print this page] Congratulations! You have finished your undergrad degree and get ready to attend to graduate college. In case you thought that tuition, room & board, fees, were expensive for your 4-year college, you're in for sticker shock with grad education.
Unlike undergrad students, graduate students may qualify for a host of college-based and outside financing options specifically made to help advanced education. The options comprise work-based and tuition-support programs, like research assistantships and teaching assistantships; research fellowships; and grad student scholarships.
1. Graduate assistantships - Lots of universities and colleges offer grad assistantships through their departments. Graduate assistants (GAs) are not just entitled to a tuition & fee waiver, but often get health insurance as well as a monthly stipend helping cover living costs.
Numerous academic programs, having the likely exception of business, medical and law schools employ graduates to teach undergrad classes. Teaching assistants (TAs) may be primary instructors for small enrollment classes and facilitator for break-out sections from larger lecture classes. Besides, academic programs, especially those in the social and natural sciences, may employ grad students to help faculty members with the their research projects.
Both research and teaching assistantships (RAs) are very competitive. In order to avoid missing out, you should begin researching options in the mid of the junior year or 1-2 years before planning to begin your grad program.
2. Fellowships - Another financing option for graduates is the fellowship. Certain universities and colleges, particularly large and research institutions, can provide grad fellowships. More common are grad fellowships coming from the federal government and an outside organization having a strong concern in research. Also, fellowships are most common in the areas of natural science, engineering and computer science.
For more info about accessible science-based fellowships, you should check out the government funded opportunities online. Various websites provide info on grant options and graduate fellowships to the students pursing careers in the sciences.
